Hollow glass building block



2 SheetS -Sheet 1 inventor doH/v L. DEA/(E.

attorney Feb. 3, 1942. J, L; DRAKE HOLLOW GLASS BUILDING BLOCK Filed Feb. 10, 1939 Feb. 3, 1942 I J. L. DRAKE i 2,272,061

HOLLOW GLASS BUILDING BLOCK Filed FeB. 10, 1959- 2 Sheets-Shed 2 3nventor (JOHN L. DEA K5.

Patented Feb. 3, 1 942 2,272,061 HOLLOW crass BUILDING BLOCK John L. Drake, Toledo, Ohio, Owens-Ford Glass Company,

corporation of Ohio Application February 10, 1939, Serial No.

assignor to Libb y- Toledo, Ohio, at

g Claims. (01. ve -41) The present invention relates to improvements in multi-part hollow glass building blocks and is particularly concerned with those types of blocks composed of two sections permanently secured to one another.

An important object of the invention is the provision "of an improved form of seal for uniting the two sections of the block to provide 3. hermetically sealed unit.

Another important object of the invention is the provision of a colored hollow glass building block of the above character wherein the coloring material, in addition to giving the desired ornamental effect, also serves as the medium for uniting the two sections of the block together.

A further importantobject of the invention is the provision of a novel method of coloring the two sections of the block after they have been formed and wherein the coloring material is fired upon the glass surfaces 'and the sections of the block simultaneously united with one'another.

Other objects and advantages of the invention will become more apparentduring. the course of 'portions only having the coloring material applied to the edge of the sections as shown in Fig. 6;

Fig; 11 is a use of the blocks herein provided in the construction of a wall;

Fig. 12 is a perspective sectional view of a modified type of block embodyingthe invention;

and

-Fig. 13 is. a perspective sectional-view of another modified type ofblock also embodying the invention.

With reference now to ticularly to Fig. 9,

the drawings, and parglass building block of rectangular form comthe following description, when taken in connecf tion with the accompanying drawings.

In the drawings, wherein like numerals are employed to designate like parts throughout the same: i

Fig. 1 is a fragmentary sectional view illustrating the shaping of one section of a hollow glass building block;

' Fig. 2 is a vertical sectional view through a portion of a heated chamber in which the preformed block sections are annealed;

Fig. 3 is a fragmentary view illustrating the grinding of the edge portions of a block section after annealing;

Fig. 4 is a perspective view illustrating one method of applying the coloring material to' the block sections;

different ways in which the coloring material may be applied to the block sections;

Fig. '7 is a sectional view Fig. 10 is a perspective view of a finished block through a block showing the two sections thereof properly assembled I. Figs. 5 and 6 are sectional views showing two mannersuch as will be more posed 'of two substantially similar preformed cup-like sections or halves l5 and I6. vEach sec tion includes a bottom wall I! and four side walls 18; the two sections beingpermanently united with one another along the edge portions thereof as indicated at l9.

In Fig. is illustrated a form of block similar to'that disclosed in Fig. 9 and having the same reference numerals applied to corresponding parts thereof. the blocks of Figs. 9 and 10 is in the manner of application of the coloring material thereto, as clearly hereinafter described, to provide blockspresenting different ornamental appearances. f

The two sections or halves, l5 and 16 of the blocks may be formed according to any desired method and by any suitable apparatus. For ex-. ample, each of the cup-like sections may be produced as'shown in Fig. 1 from a measured quantity of molten glass which is deposited in a mold 20 and pressed to the desired shape by means of a plunger 2|. After the blocksection has been formed, it is adapted to be properly annealed and this may be accomplished by removing it from the mold and placing it in a suitable annealing chamber 22 (Fig. 2) heated in any desired by burners or the like 23.

After the block section has been properly annealed, the edge portions 24 of the sidewalls ll thereof are preferably ground or otherwise treated to provide roughened surfaces. This roughening of the edge portions maybe performed upon a rotatable grinding wheel 25 (Fig. 3) mounted upon a vertical shaft 26 or by any other suit able grinding or roughening apparatus or method.

Following the roughening of the edge portions 24 ofthe block section, the coloring material is adapted to be applied to theglass The coloring material used may be of any desired composition,

diagrammatic view illustrating the there is illustrated a hollow The principal difference between I such as a ceramic enamel, and is preferably sprayedupon the glass by means of a conventional spray gun 21,. although other methods of application may be resorted to.

As shown in Fig. 5, a relatively thin layer of coloring material 28 is applied to the inner surfaces of the bottom and side walls I1 and 8 respectively of the block section and also'to the edge portions 24 thereof as indicated'at 29. On the other hand, in Fig. 6, the coloring material is applied to the edge portions only ofthe block section as indicated at 30.

After the coloring material has been applied to two block sections or halves either in the manner illustrated in Fig. 5 or Fig. 6, the block sections are properly associated with one another as in Fig. 7, at which time the layers of coloring material upon the edge portions 24 of the two block sections will contact'one another. The assembled block sections are then adapted to be united with one another to form material is adapted to be fired upon the glass.

The firing of the coloring material upon the glass and the uniting of the block sections may be simultaneously accomplished by placing the assembled sections in a suitable furnace 3| (Fig. 8) heated by burners or the like 32. The temperature within the furnace is adapted to be so controlled as to effect the firing of the coloring material upon the glass surfaces. Upon firing of the coloring material, the contacting color coats upon the edge portions of the block sections will be caused to fuse together as well as to the glass whereby the two sections of the block will be I firmly and permanently united to one another to provide a hollow hermetically sealed unit.

plying the coloring material thereto as in Fig. 5,

or the edge portions 24 only thereof colored as in Fig. 6. In either case, the coloring material will be plainly visible through the walls of the block to give the desired color effect. A great variety of colors and their tints and shades may be used and the blocks may be made of transparent, semi-transparent or translucent glass.

The two forms of blocks shown in Figs. -9 and The plain or uncolored blocks 44 can be formed 7 as the colored blocks. Also the in the same way a hermetically sealed unit and, at the same time, the coloring block sections in employed to provide tions.

two sections of the plain or uncolored blocks can be permanently united with one another by using a color clear or substantially color clear ceramic enamel" or other suitable composition applied to the edge portions thereof, in the same manner that the colored material 30 is applied to the Fig. 10.

In Fig. 12 is illustrated a slightly modified type of block wherein the edge portions of the two sections of the block are formed so that they overlap one another. Thus, the edge portion of each section is notched as at 31 to provide a recess for receiving'the reduced edge portion 38 of the adjacent block section. The reduced edge portions 38 overlap one another and the coloring material may be applied to the inner surfaces of the bottom and side walls of the block sections as indicated at 38 as well as to the edge portions as indicated at 40 or to the edge portions only as described above.

In Fig. 13 is illustrated another type of multipart hollow glass block embodying the present like section 4| provided The side walls of the formed around the continuous recess 43 adapted to receive the cover plate 42 therein. The inner surfaces of the walls of the cup-like section 4| may becolored as at 44 and the inner surface of the cover plate 42 likewise provided with a color coat 45. The bottom and side walls of the recess 43 as well as the peripheral edges of the cover plate 42 are also adapted to be colored as at 46 or these .portions only may be colored as explained above. After the coloring material has been applied to the with a fiat cover plate 42. cup-like section 4| are sections 4| and 42, the said sections are properly secured together through the medium of the coloring material 46 at the edge portions thereof.

It is to be taken as the preferred embodiment of the same, and that various changes in the shape, size and arrangement of parts may be resorted to without departing from the spirit of the invention or the scopeof the subjoined claims.

I claim:

1. A glass building block composed of two sections Joined together at the edge portions thereof to provide a hollow sealed unit, and a coating of colored ceramic enamel adherent to said edge portions for securing said sections to one another and being visible through the walls thereof.

2. A glass building block composed of two sections Joined together at the edge portions thereof to provide a hollow sealed unit, a coating of colored ceramic enamel adherent to said edge portions for securing said and being visible through the walls thereof, and a coating of colored ceramic enamel also adherent to and covering the inner surface'sof said sec- JOHN L. DRAKE.

rim of the section with a understood that the form of the v invention herewith shown and described is to be sections to one another 

